Inspiration for Leaders

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

The latest updates and strategies in instructional
technology were among the impressive line-up of topics discussed at the April
27 Tech Expo, an annual event sponsored by the LHRIC that attracted nearly 300 of
the region's educators and administrators.

Here are some highlights from a day filled with informative
workshops.

"Transmedia: The
Next Technology Flood"

Teachers overwhelmed with the many resources available to
them on the Internet should fret no more, said Dr. Annette Lamb, a professor at
Indiana University and a former school library media specialist and computer
teacher. Dr. Lamb (shown in the picture to the left) reassured educators they could "create fluid
environments for teaching and learning" by using Transmedia, the technique
of telling a story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats
using current digital technologies.

Pottermore is an
online experience from J.K. Rowling that is built around the Harry Potter
books. While it's far from being complete, said Dr. Lamb, there is already an
opportunity for participants in the experience to write their own chapters to
the series.

Dr. Lamb encourages educators to use all of the interactive
media elements available to them, even gaming software that can be integrated
into learning. "The students already have their cell phones ready and
available, so let's make use of those," she noted.

Teachers might also want to direct their students to the
website, We Tell Stories, a
series of six stories based on classic novels that are being retold through different
mediums. One story, "The Thirty-Nine Steps," the classic tale by John
Buchan, walks readers through the story via Google Maps. Students can also
create episodes of a new digital series called Inanimate Alice, a
Transmedia project that unfolds over time and is on multiple platforms. Text,
images, music, sound effects, puzzles and games all combine to tell the story
of 10-year-old Alice, a budding game animator and designer.

To discover more resources for online learning, visit Dr.
Lamb's popular website, Eduscapes.com.

Skype in Schools: The
Future is Now

In Amy Rosenstein's third grade class at Concord Road
Elementary School in the Ardsley School District, children have the
opportunity to learn about the world around them thanks to Ms. Rosenstein's
efforts in using Skype as an
educational videoconferencing tool. On a regular basis, Ms. Rosenstein connects with former students, Matthew and Josh Levy, who now live in Hong
Kong.

Before embarking on the initiative, Ms. Rosenstein thought
it would be a good idea if her students learned some Mandarin in the weeks
prior to their first Skype session with the boys and their mother. They also
used Google Earth to locate Hong Kong on a map.

During the Tech Expo session, Ms. Rosenstein talked to the boys and gave participants a chance to ask them questions about their new
surroundings and the experience of Skyping with their friends in Ardsley.

Before embarking on a project such as this, Ms. Rosenstein
said it is important that teachers define their goals. Are they doing this to
try out a new technology or is this being done so that the children can learn
something new?

"Be creative and relaxing," added Ms. Rosenstein,
"and also prepare the kids for the unexpected, meaning that a connection
might not work or may be lost during a conversation." Before a typical
Skype session, Ms. Rosenstein asks her students to prepare questions ahead of
time, which are reviewed by her. The process, she said, has taught her students
the value of asking good questions that can generate a well-rounded
conversation.

Interactive Textbooks
and iBooks Author

Apple's latest digital textbook, known as iBooks Author, was of interest
to many Tech Expo participants. Apple representative Seana Dowling explained
the technicalities of the iBooks 2 for iPad and how teachers can use it to
create textbooks using simple drag-and-drop mechanisms.

"The interactivity of such books will open doors for
teachers who will be able to take the content they've been gathering over the
years and put it into a really unique environment that's engaging for students
and that's really accessible," said Ms. Dowling.

Recent examples of digital iBooks include "Life
on Earth," by E.O. Wilson, which can be viewed on an iPad using iBooks
2 or on a PC or Mac using iTunes.